Why is My Refrigerator Noisy?

Strange noises coming from a refrigerator is one of our most common customer calls. This means our technicians know just how to troubleshoot the problem and fix it. Call Elite Appliance Repair today! The #1 East Orange refrigerator repair service.

A noisy refrigerator is extremely annoying. If the refrigerator in your house seems to be a bit louder than usual there are a couple of simple place that you can look at while attempting to find a solution. There are many fans on a standard refrigerator that might create strange noises. The appliance might also not be balanced too. Or you may have a compressor wearing out. If your refrigerator is much noisier when the ice maker is making ice, the noises could be from a broken a water valve.

There are a few basic things that need to be checked. Like is the refrigerator filled too full? A refrigerator that’s too might cause glass containers and other food items to clink together. This will create a lot of unpleasant sounds inside the refrigerator that isn’t ideal because the refrigerator is cooling and producing a small vibration.

If you own a refrigerator that has a water dispenser or ice maker but do not have the water hooked up, be sure you turned off the water dispenser and the ice maker. There is almost always a button on the dispenser that can be pressed to turn off the dispenser. And with the ice maker, you just need to lift the bar. If the refrigerator is installed near a wall in the kitchen, it will cause the standard operating sound to seem a lot louder. This is because of the echoing of the sound of the refrigerator. Slide it out a little from the wall and then see if that helps at all or not. A refrigerator should be around 2 inches away from the back wall to lower the noise.

If it is not one of these simple and easier fixes, it’s time to explore the issue further. The majority of the time, the fans are the cause of a loud refrigerator. There are fan blades that sometimes get dirty and clogged. There are times the fan motors do as well. There is a condenser fan and an evaporator on the refrigerator too. Many times the refrigerator condenser fan gets a coating of dust or fuzz on it and should be cleaned regularly. If the coating gets too heavy it might wear out the bearings inside the refrigerator fan’s motor.

Clean the Fan & Refrigerator Condenser Coils

behind the refrigerator. A lot of the time you will need to have a wrench or screwdriver to remove the back panel from the refrigerator. As soon as it is off you’ll notice a fan inside. If it’s full of dirt and dust, grab a rag and gently clean it off. While you are in there check the coils too. These are typically near there and will be full of the same grime and dust that the fan is. Cleaning the coils will only take a few minutes but it will help the refrigerator run efficiently. This is actually a common issue that can cause a refrigerator to run non-stop.

Spin the fan blades in the refrigerator. Do the fan blades spin freely? If they don’t the fan motor bearings are not working. This is a simple fix, as the fan assembly is usually a component that can be ordered and can be replaced by simply disconnecting it. However, before trying this, be sure the refrigerator is unplugged. Do this same process for the evaporator fan in the refrigerator, which is typically located behind the freezer unit. This isn’t usually the issue, as this particular fan is protected by being inside the walls of the refrigerator. But, if the noises are coming from the top of the refrigerator that’s the area to look.

If it is possible it might be the compressor, the big, usually black or gray object beneath the refrigerator by the coils, we advise calling Elite Appliance Repair. That’s not a repair a homeowner should try.

ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATOR RESOURCES

• How Does a Refrigerator Work?
• Ice Maker Not Working
• Water Dispenser Not Working
• Refrigerator Not Cooling